Try French chef Laurent Pacaud's classic French recipe for delicious crêpes on Pancake Day. This traditional recipe hails from Laurent's native Brittany and uses beer to make a light batter suitable for filling with sweet or savoury toppings.
-
300
g
plain flour
-
3
large
eggs
-
Pinch
of
salt
-
100
ml
beer
-
200
ml
milk
-
40
g
salted butter for beurre noisette (optional)
-
2-3
tbsp
sunflower or vegetable oil, or a knob of butter
- Sift the flour and salt into a bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into the well, and gradually beat them into the flour to make a paste.
- Slowly add the beer, beating the mixture to incorporate it, then add the milk, a little at a time, and continue beating until you have a smooth batter.
- For the beurre noisette (if using): put 40g of salted butter in a frying pan and warm until it is bubbling and colouring a little. Add this last to the batter and quickly beat it in.
- Heat a pan so it is hot but not smoking. Dip a piece of kitchen paper in the sunflower or vegetable oil and wipe it around the pan before pouring in the batter, or wrap a knob of butter in a piece of kitchen paper then wipe this round the warm pan, so the melted butter seeps through the paper.
- Pour a little batter into the pan. Turn the pan so the batter covers the base and cook until it is slightly coloured. Flip the pancake by sliding a spatula underneath the pancake and gently flipping it over and colour the other side.
